Sometimes I think I have imposter syndrome. Then this person shows up.

My advice for anyone in a similar situation is to go for a job in a different field.
Tell them that you reached the goals you had set for yourself in your previous field (PhD, published peer reviewed works etc). Tell them that you feel it is time for you to explore other fields and that you have an affinity with the one you're applying in. Then tell them the most important thing you learned during your previous endeavors: you have the capacity to learn and adapt

This guy's cover letter

Dear Hiring Team,

I would like to be considered for this role, I have a PhD and have all of the qualifications on paper. I've even published in the area you are hiring for, but really you should consider me as an entry level engineer. I don't know a lot, and I get confused sometimes. But, please hire me.

Best,

• The Guy Who Applied, PhD

I feel like you all are misplaying your hands. Find contractors that work for the govt.

They can bill the govt much higher rates because you have a PhD. They don't have to pay you the extra. You could literally tell them that. Pay me at a junior rate and keep the difference until I prove I'm worth more.

You'd be straight revenue/profit for them. and it gets your foot in the door and you start getting actual experience.

But you DO have a PhD. Claiming it is somehow not valid is a criticism of the establishment that awarded it to you. You're just suffering from impostor syndrome, that's all.

Also, no employer will consider someone fresh out of education, even someone with a PhD, to have vast quantitites of useful real-world experience, so even declaring a PhD won't see you land your first job with the expectations that you'll ace every bit of it from day one.

It's good that you realise you know nothing. That is both accurate and useful. But don't take it too far. What your PhD proves is that you have an ability to learn, understand and communicate, and THAT is what employers are looking for.

This absolutely happens in real life. Guy I worked with was at a large telecom company that liquidated in the 2000s. Dude was high up and had a beach house.. you know, rich people stuff.

After the 2000s recession he had major trouble getting hired because he earned too much before and potential employers would think he would leave if they gave him a lower offer.

He ended up working for me building hydroponic farms for about a year making shit pay.

Fake it till you make it. That’s what everyone else does.

Me, looking for technical writing jobs after writing a highly fucking technical dissertation: I have a PhD but I'm pretty burned out on being a try-hard so I'm just looking for a straightforward 9-to-5.

Them: We're worried you'll be bored.

Me: Anyone would get bored doing this, at least I'll be good at it.

Them: No.

Just... Say that you have a bachelor's degree and that's it? You really have it anyway for fuck's sake!

What is my greatest weakness?

I’m aware of my own gaps in knowledge. I have a PHD but the more I ponder on what I learned and the program I was involved in the more I realize what I don’t know.

My greatest strength?

My willingness to not give too much weight to what I know and focus on what I don’t know.

Man I've often been confused at jobs too but the difference is that I've kept pushing through until I either figure it out or they fire me. So that's my advice in this hypothetical, fake it till you make it.

Hrm, ngl this username probably helps? 😜

Say you spent it working in McDonald’s. They won’t bother checking.

Welcome to the teeter totter of employment. Best you can do is be 100% honest about your situation and hope they are looking for that more than a sheepskin